Billboard

ABSTRACT

A billboard ( 10 ) includes a substrate ( 11 ), a lens array ( 12 ) and at least one light source ( 13 ). A plurality of pattern units are provided at a first side of the substrate. Each of the pattern units includes a plurality of pattern cells for being selectively combined to form at least one independent image. The lens array corresponding to the pattern units is arranged on one surface of the substrate at the first side thereof. The lens array includes a plurality of lenses arranged in rows and columns. The lens array is configured for displaying the at least one independent image. At least one light source is disposed facing to the other surface of the substrate configured for emitting light rays towards the substrate.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to advertising billboard devices and, particularly, to billboards capable of multi-image presentation.

2. Description of the Related Art

Billboards are used to display various messages typically consisting of a combination of text and graphics. Traditionally, the message has been provided by way of a single fixed sheet that is pasted to a backing. This traditional approach requires the use of an external tool to change the displayed message. Electronic billboards provide the advantage in that the display message can be conveniently changed without the use of an external tool. While the display message of electronic billboards can easily be changed, they are difficult to manage and often require significant support resources to coordinate billboard content.

What is needed, therefore, is a new billboard that can overcome the above-described shortcomings.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a billboard. The billboard includes a substrate, a lens array and at least one light source. A plurality of pattern units are provided at a first side of the substrate. Each of the pattern units includes a plurality of pattern cells for being selectively combined to form at least one independent image. The lens array corresponding to the pattern units is arranged on one surface of the substrate at the first side thereof. The lens array includes a plurality of lenses arranged in rows and columns. The lens array is configured for displaying the at least one independent image. At least one light source is disposed facing to the other surface of the substrate configured for emitting light rays towards the substrate.

The present invention relates to another billboard. The billboard includes a substrate, a lens array and at least one light source. The substrate has two opposite surfaces. A plurality of pattern units is formed on one surface of the substrate or formed in the substrate. Each of the pattern units includes a plurality of pattern cells for being selectively combined to form at least one independent image. The lens array includes a plurality of lenses arranged in rows and columns. The lens array corresponding to the pattern units is arranged on one surface of the substrate. The lens array is configured for displaying the at least one independent image. A wedge-shaped light guide plate is disposed facing the other surface of the substrate. The wedge-shaped light guide plate having an incident surface. At least one light source is disposed facing the incident surface of the wedge-shaped light guide plate.

Other novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present billboard can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present billboard. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a billboard, in accordance with a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of the billboard in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a lens in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of pattern units formed on the first surface of the substrate in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of pattern cells in the pattern units illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is another schematic view of the lens in FIG. 3 when the incident surface of the lens is divided into four parts.

FIG. 7 is another sectional view of pattern cells in the pattern units illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is further another schematic view of the lens in FIG. 3 when the incident surface of the lens is divided into nine parts.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a billboard, in accordance with a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe in detail at least one preferred embodiment of the present billboard.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a billboard 10, according to a first present embodiment, includes a transparent substrate 11, a lens array 12, and at least one light source 13.

The transparent substrate 11 includes a first surface 110 and a second surface 112 located on the opposite side of the first surface 110. Referring to FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the lens array 12 is arranged on the first surface 110 of the substrate 11, and the light sources 13 are located opposite to the second surface 112 of the substrate 11, i.e., the substrate 11 is located between the lens array 12 and the light sources 13. In the present embodiment, the light sources 13 are electrically and securely connected with a circuit board 14.

The light sources, in the present embodiment, are light emitted diode (LED). The light sources also can be other illuminating devices, such as cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), etc.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in the present embodiment, a plurality of pattern units 15 corresponding to the lens array 12 is formed on the first surface 110 of the substrate 11. Each of the pattern units can be divided into a plurality of pattern cells 150. The plurality of pattern cells 150 can be selectively combined to form at least one independent image consisting of a combination of text and graphics. In alternative embodiments, the plurality of pattern units 15 can be formed on the second surface 112 of the substrate 11 or in the substrate 11.

The lens array 12 includes a plurality of lenses 121 arranged in rows and columns. Referring to FIG. 3, each lens 121 includes a lens body 122. In the present embodiment, the lens body 122 is substantially shaped as a cube. In the alternative embodiments, the lens body 122 can be the shape of cylinder or prism. The lens body 122 has an incident surface 1212 and a light emitting surface 1211 opposite to the incident surface 1212. The lens body 122 further includes a pair of first side surface 1213 facing each other and a pair of second side surface 1214 facing each other and adjacent to the first side surface 1213. The incident surface 1212 of lens body 122 is opposite to the first surface 110 of the substrate 11.

In the present embodiment, the incident surface 1212 is a plane surface. The light emitting surface 1211 is a curved surface, preferably, a second-order surface. In the present embodiment, the light emitting surface 1211 is an ellipsoid surface. In alternative embodiments, the light emitting surface can be a hyperboloid surface and a paraboloid surface.

Referring to FIG. 3 again, a plane parallel to the first side surface 1213 is defined as a first reference surface 1223. A plane parallel to the second side surface 1214 is defined as a second reference surface 1224. The first reference surface 1223 is perpendicular to the second reference surface 1224. It can be understood that, parallel light rays transmitted to inside of the first reference surface 1223 can be focused at the point M. In the same way, parallel light rays transmitted to inside of the second reference surface 1224 can be focused at the point N.

Referring to FIG. 6, the incident surface 1212 of each lens body 122 is divided into four equal-area parts I, II, III, IV by the first reference surface 1223 and the second reference surface 1224. The imaging plane 300 of each lens 12 is divided into four equal-area parts i, ii, iii, iv corresponding to the four parts of the incident surface 1212. All I parts of incident surface 1212 of each lens body 122 consist a first picture. All II parts of incident surface 1212 of each lens body 122 consists a second picture. All III parts of incident surface 1212 of each lens body 122 consists a third picture. All IV parts of incident surface 1212 of each lens body 122 consists a fourth picture.

Each of the pattern units 15 on the first surface 110 of the substrate 11 can be divided into a plurality of pattern cells 150 (referring to FIG. 5). For example, in the present embodiment, each of the pattern units 15 consists of the pattern cells “A”, “B”, “C”, and “D”. In the operation, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, the parallel light rays emitted from the light sources 13 are transmitted therethrough the substrate 11 and illuminate the pattern cells “A”, “B”, “C”, and “D” on the first surface 110 of the substrate 11. The transmitted light rays incident on the incident surface 1212 of the lens body 122 and are refracted by the lens body 122 so that images of the pattern “A”, “B”, “C”, and “D” are respectively formed on the imaging plane 300. Images of the patterns “A” and “B” are respectively formed on the part iii and part iv on the imaging plane 300. Images of the patterns “C” and “D” are respectively formed on the part i and part ii on the imaging plane 300.

An image of the first picture, the second picture, the third picture, or the fourth picture will be observed from different position and different angle.

In alternative embodiment, the transparent substrate 11 can be a transparent film.

It can be understood that, the number of pattern cells 150, the pattern units 15 is not limited to four, it can be three, six, etc. For example, referring to FIG. 7, the pattern unit 15 consists of the pattern cells “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “E”, “F”, “G”, “H”, and “I”. Referring to FIG. 8, the incident surface 1212 is divided into nine equal-area parts I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX corresponding to the pattern cells, and the imaging plane 300 of each lens body 122 is divided into nine equal-area parts i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii, viii, ix corresponding to the nine parts of the incident surface 1212. Images of the patterns “A”, “B”, and “C” are respectively formed on the part ix, part viii, and part vii on the imaging plane 300. Images of the patterns “D”, “E”, and “F” are respectively formed on the part vi, part v, and part iv on the imaging plane 300. Images of the patterns “G”, “H”, and “I” are respectively formed on the part iii, part ii, and part i on the imaging plane 300.

Referring to FIG. 9, a billboard 50, according to a second present embodiment, includes a transparent substrate 11, a lens array 12, and at least one light source 13. The structure of first embodiment is similar to that of the billboard 10 in the first embodiment. The difference is that, the billboard 50 further includes a wedge-shaped light guide plate 55. The light guide plate 55 includes a light emitting surface 552 on the top of the light guide plate 55, a bottom surface 553 on the bottom of the light guide plate 55, and an incident surface 551 located between the light emitting surface 552 and the bottom surface 553. The light emitting surface 552 is opposite to the transparent substrate 11.

The billboards described in the embodiments are capable of multi-image presentation. Through the lens array 12, a plurality of patterns selectively combined by the plurality of pattern units on the substrate 11 can be observed from different position and different angle.

While the present invention has been described as having preferred or exemplary embodiments, the embodiments can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the embodiments using the general principles of the invention as claimed. Furthermore, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims or equivalents thereof. 

1. A billboard, comprising: a substrate; a plurality of pattern units provided at a first side of the substrate, each of the pattern units comprising a plurality of pattern cells for being selectively combined to form at least one independent image; a lens array corresponding to the pattern units arranged on one surface of the substrate at the first side thereof, the lens array being configured for displaying the at least one independent image, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of lenses arranged in rows and columns; and a light source disposed at an opposite second side of the substrate and facing to the other surface of the substrate configured for emitting light rays towards the substrate.
 2. The billboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the lenses includes a lens body, the lens body having an incident surface and a light emitting surface opposite to the incident surface.
 3. The billboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the incident surface of the lens body is a plane surface, the light emitting surface of the lens body is a curved surface.
 4. The billboard as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light emitting surface of the lens body is an ellipsoid surface.
 5. The billboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the pattern units comprises four equal-area pattern cells, the pattern cells are arranged in rows and columns, the number of the pattern cells arranged in rows is equal to the number of the pattern cells arranged in columns.
 6. The billboard as claimed in claim 5, wherein the incident surface is divided into four equal-area parts corresponding to each of the pattern units.
 7. The billboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the pattern units comprises nine equal-area pattern cells, the pattern cells are arranged in rows and columns, the number of the pattern cells arranged in rows is equal to the number of the pattern cells arranged in columns.
 8. The billboard as claimed in claim 7, wherein the incident surface is divided into nine equal-area parts corresponding to each of the pattern units.
 9. The billboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.
 10. A billboard, comprising: a substrate having two opposite surfaces; a plurality of pattern units formed on one surface of the substrate or formed in the substrate, each of the pattern units comprising a plurality of pattern cells for being selectively combined to form at least one independent image, wherein the lens array comprises a plurality of lenses arranged in rows and columns; a lens array corresponding to the pattern units arranged on one surface of the substrate, the lens array being configured for displaying the at least one independent image; a wedge-shaped light guide plate disposed facing the other surface of the substrate, the wedge-shaped light guide plate having an incident surface; and at least one light source disposed facing the incident surface of the wedge-shaped light guide plate. 